All offseason long, For The Win has been catching up with WNBA stars as they do things that are important to them, like promoting financial education for players or joining other basketball leagues to keep their skills fresh.
For the Win asked several players various questions to help fans get to know them a little better. We decided to use the time to learn more about what makes them tick – and dish on some less serious moments in the W.
Some athletes were also made available through the WNBA’s Player Marketing Agreement (PMA) program, which was designed to create a holistic player experience and additional opportunities for players to earn income throughout the year. The program also helps players build their personal brands while connecting them to league partners through tentpole events and culturally relevant spaces.
“It was part of our overall marketing strategy,” Head of League Operatios Bethany Donaphin explained. “We thought, ‘How can we highlight player stories and elevate players across the league in a multifaceted way?’ Being able to have a platform that allows us to support players while they support the growth of the league was important.”
Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Jewell Loyd, Napheesa Collier, Sydney Colson all got to share their stories with For The Win recently. Here’s what they had to say about the growth of the WNBA, their personal brands and some of their more unfortunate moments on the court.
The link up you didn’t know you needed!
Stay tuned to learn more about these WNBA stars… you’ll be seeing a lot more of them on here this season 👀
Head over to the WNBA App for more next week pic.twitter.com/KPFjl3cE3K
— WNBA (@WNBA) January 11, 2024
These answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.
1
What does your personal brand say to anyone who watches or supports the WNBA?
Aliyah Boston: First, I’d say that a big part of my personal brand is my faith. I think anyone looking from the outside in would see that I am a child of God. The second part would be that I’m super fun and energetic. I’m a terrible dancer, but I’m gonna do it anyway. I’m working on my fashion game — just a little bit of everything. I think that’s what I enjoy the most. It’s about getting to know myself better.
For The Win: We heard you say you were a terrible dancer. Do you have a signature dance that you do that’s absolutely the worst?
Aliyah Boston: Honestly, whatever feels right at that moment. I’m going to crank it out. I’m working on these TikTok dances. They have all the routines. As soon as I turn the camera on, I get going. Nothing happens, but I just take over.
Rhyne Howard: I would say anything that has to do with something fun. I love to keep the family engaged. I love to have fun on the court and try to keep a smile on my face —whatever I can do to be that sense of comfort to the game and to the fans really watching it.
Jewell Loyd: I think my evolution of myself as a player and as a person has evolved in the last two years. I think my brand is basically discovering who you are as a person by allowing people to see you in a different light. It’s easy to just see me as a jersey or as a product of just basketball, but the person is, is way more important.
2
What drives your passion for the city and organization you play for?
Aliyah Boston: Indiana is a basketball state, and Indianapolis is a basketball city. I want to be the best that I can be for the people who continue to show up for our games. My parents have just made so many sacrifices with God’s help. The biggest sacrifice would be allowing my sister and me to move to the States with my aunt at such a young age. I want them to feel like their hard work is paying off and that continues to push me every single day.
Rhyne Howard: When we have sellout games as we do, it just shows how much fans buy into me and the team. It shows how much they support women’s basketball. It’s like one big family in Atlanta. You never want to go out there and embarrass the city that you played for. Being able to have their support at all times adds that extra bit of confidence that we may need to play a good game or do what we need to be doing on the court.
Jewell Loyd: Seattle is where I was drafted. I’ve been there my whole career. I’ve been able to grow there and meet a lot of different people, faces and companies. And they’ve seen me grow. So, knowing that I am recognized by the Seattle Storm and will be recognized in the future for the championships we win helps me feel good about changing the culture there.
3
What would it mean to you to be considered a face of the WNBA?
Aliyah Boston: Who wouldn’t want that? That would be really special. My goal is to be able to inspire younger kids because not everyone’s journey is the same. I think what makes mine super unique is that I came from an island, moved to the States, and had to travel hours and hours and hours to get to practice. Then I got recruited, went to South Carolina and went to a natty. Boom! Then, I’m in the league and Rookie of the Year. That would obviously be amazing for that to happen, but whatever God’s plans He has for me will come to pass.
Napheesa Collier: It would mean a lot. That would be amazing. It’s something I’ve dedicated my life to it up until this point. To see that hard work pay off would definitely be a goal. There are a lot of things I still want to accomplish in my career. Winning a championship is one of them. I want to be MVP. So, if those other things come on top of that, that would be great.
Sydney Colson: I just am who I am, wherever I am. I make sure that I’m myself. I’m not changing who I am for any crowd. I act in a way that will make my family proud, and I try to represent my family, faith, and the people I care about, and do a good job. When you show up as yourself everywhere you go, people respect that. Whether something good comes from it, I can sleep well, knowing I don’t morph for anybody.
Rhyne Howard: I feel like it would just embody everything that I’ve been working towards. I would consider A’ja Wilson as a face of the league or even Jewell Loyd as a face of the league. Just to be able to even be mentioned with them at times and be of the caliber that they are would be a blessing. I’m only going into Year Three, so I do have a lot of work to do. But I feel like that can definitely be one of the next steps that I take.
Jewell Loyd: I think the momentum from this season has allowed me to open different doors and allow me to be in different rooms. I fully believe that I’m able to open whatever doors I go into with the way I’m able to connect with people. I love talking to people, and I love hearing people’s stories. I’m trying to do a better job with social media and being comfortable having the interviews and not being just so like robotic like how we’ve been told to answer in college, right? “Follow the script.” It’s no more scripts for me. It’s just getting personal.
4
What kept you going during the ebbs and flows of the 2023 season.
Aliyah Boston: My mom. She is such a big supporter. When it comes to her and basketball, she’s like, “Oh yeah, you’re fine.” I’ll say back to her, “Girl, I just shot two for 10. What do you mean “I’m fine?” Then, with my dad, we talk basketball like crazy. He’ll say, “Oh, in the second half, you had a play where you did this, this, this.” It’s a different IQ for both, but they are very supportive no matter what.
Sydney Colson: The most important thing that [Aces head coach Becky Hammon] told us was that we hadn’t done anything yet. It didn’t matter anymore. It didn’t matter that you won. It didn’t carry over. So, you must do everything right again. The target will be bigger on your back. That means you have to play together more than you did before. We had a speech before the Finals that was just about being poised in the noise, not caving to the pressures around us and staying focused on what’s in our locker room and our team.
Rhyne Howard: Of course, everybody knows Allisha Gray, and whenever you see me, you see her as well. We’re always all about having fun, just keeping the team in good spirits. But, if you want to say somebody who’s from another team: Sydney Colson. She’s definitely all about bringing the fun. Whoever I have a good connection with we try to be all about business on the court, but, you know, we’ll still always have that friendship.
Jewell Loyd: It definitely starts all from my circle. I’ve said most of the time that I believe I have the best internal circle, from trainers to shooting coaches to friends. All of that can keep you stable. That allowed me to stay in this mindset of just having fun and, finally, in my eyes, playing free regardless of what happened.
5
If you could steal one skill from another player across any sport to add to your game, whose skill would you steal?
Aliyah Boston: I am for the women, but I am going to pick an NBA player. I think I will say Kawhi Leonard and his mid-range game and his patience for it. He gets to his spot. People forget about the mid-range, and I feel like the mid-range is really hard. I was recently watching the Clippers play, and he was so patient. He was jabbing, the defender is still there, and he’s just elevating into his spot. I said, “That, right there, is amazing.”
Napheesa Collier: Honestly, I need to steal someone’s flexibility. I need to get some gymnast flexibility because my body is tight. So I think I would steal some flexibility somewhere made from Simone Biles. Well, you know what? I want to change my answer. I don’t want flexibility. I want Sue Bird’s court vision.
Bethany Donaphin: I would love to be able to have the joke telling ability of Syd Colson. I think Jordin Canada can sing. Shakira Austin has some good TikTok moves. I’m definitely trying to pick up some pickleball like Jewell Loyd.
Rhyne Howard: I would steal Kevin Durant’s style of play. The way he gets to his spot and just shoots over people is at a different level. The way he views the game and approaches the game is way up there. If I had that now, I would definitely be in that face of the league conversation.
Jewell Loyd: Is jumping a skill? Is that a natural ability? I mean, I feel like it’s kind of a skill, though, because I’m short, and I can’t jump that high.
6
What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done mid-game?
Aliyah Boston: I don’t know if I’ve done anything crazy embarrassing; I probably would try to forget it. I don’t think I have anything, which is OK. And I’m not even joking because I feel like I would remember the basketball play, and it would just keep playing in my head.
Napheesa Collier: Actually, this is pretty embarrassing. I was really tired. I guess it wasn’t mid-game. It was at the end of a game. We were in overtime, and I was exhausted. I played all 40 minutes. Someone hit me really hard on the screen, and I peed a lot.
Sydney Colson: I think I started my period in an Athletes Unlimited game. So, there’s that. But hey, the life of a woman. Am I right?
Bethany Donaphin: I don’t feel like I have a good answer for this. It probably was against some player that dominated me, like Lisa Leslie or Tina Thompson.
Rhyne Howard: I’m not sure. I feel like I feel like I try to keep myself out of those situations.
Jewell Loyd: I’ve dribbled off my foot. I’ve had a shot hit the side of the backboard a couple of times. I usually have one of those a year. So, I’m I’m due for one of those.
